Life's Little Imperfections

Life isn't perfect. Period. We all know that. But how often do we look at the imperfections in our life as a blessing? Probably never. We think that only the good things in life are blessings. That's human nature. We want to throw away the bad, the messy, the ugly...but what if God is showing us something profound in our mistakes? What if looking at life's little messes will bring us a greater satisfaction than only focusing on perfection? After all, it's the flaw that makes a true masterpiece. I was thinking this morning about my life with kids. There are times when I feel like my house will never be the same! But then, I am glad for it. It's true, my house is rarely immaculate, as I would prefer. As hard as I try and as much as I work, sometimes there are dirty dishes, toys scattered, a pile of laundry, unmade beds...but then I started to think...those dirty dishes mean that we had food to eat, those toys scattered around means I have two healthy children. That pile of laundry means we have clothes to wear and those unmade beds mean we have a warm place to sleep. I started thinking about all the things in this life that we take for granted. My house, my life, will never be the same and I'm ok with that. My kids make messes and I clean them up...over and over and over. But they are my kids and I love them for all their ways. I'm glad they are healthy enough to play and make a mess, that they have the strength and energy to run around screaming like wild Indians! On days when I feel like my head will explode, I stop and say "Thank You, Lord that they aren't sick or dying...thank You that they are full of life." If you didn't have messes to clean up it would mean you weren't living. God loves us even when we make mistakes, He cares so much for us. We are His children and He doesn't just discard us when we falter. He picks us up and dries our tears and sets us right again. He looks beyond our fault and sees our need. So, take a good, long look at your messes, your imperfections...and see the blessing in it, the strength you gained, the lesson you learned, the scar you earned. Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to be perfect or exactly like someone else, but God doesn't want that. He wants us, with all our insecurities, our faults and failures...he wants to be our Savior, our Healer, our Redeemer. He could never be those things to a perfect person. So, in short, marvel in your shortcomings and remember that life's little messes are one more way to give Him thanks! Your life may not be perfect, but it's perfect for you!